OHE MIU M ANNUM INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE.
TOAVANDA:
Thursday Morning, June 14, 1860.
Shltticb ipaetrn.
THE SUNSET LAND.
bn 1 dimly through the mist* of years.
That nil their dreary waves between,
The gorgeous Sunset Land appears,
Arrayed in lines of fadeless green.
And from that far-off sunny clime,
Old half-forgotten songs arise,
And stealing o'er the waves of Time,
The sweetly lingering music dies.
As some bright island of the sea.
Forever blooming, ever fair ;
Though cold dark billows around it be,
Eternal sunshine hovers there.
Thus o'er the silent sea of years,
Dur eager, longing looks are cast.
Where robed in fadeless spring appears.
The sunlit Eden of the past.
There Memory weaves her garlands green
Beside the lone, hope haunted shore ;
And musing 'mid the Arcadian scene,
Twines flowers that bloom for ns no more.
Oh' hallowed clime ! blest land of love !
Sweet Paradise of early dreams !
Still through thy vale may fancy rove,
Still bisk beneath thy evening beams.
And rhen they dwell—those cherished ones,
With sn.>w-white brow* and waving hair ;
I see them now—l hear their tones
' Of sweetness fly along the air.
Hark how their silvery voices ring
In cadence with the wind's low sigh ?
Not sweeter is the wind-harp's string
That wakes at eve its melody.
They call to us ; they wave their hands—
As by the mirage lifted high.
That clime in all its beauty stands
Against the forehead of the sky.
With wreathed brows—with laugh and song.
With tender looks—bauds cla.-jwd in hand,
The* move along, that love-linked throng—
Within the liannted ?unset I-ar.d
iiHisfflla norus.
[From the tlermant'.wn Telegraph.]
The Battle of Germantown.
The disposition of the British forces. jsre
wtratory to the battle, will require some min
uteness of description, in order to properly
comprehend the plan of attack ; Mount-Airy,
bulled about half way between tke then
village of G crura n town and Chestnut-Hill,
was occupied by a corps of British infantry ;
a house near at hand containing their outlying
pickets, furnished with two six pounders.—
i>oae difiar.ee below this position, ami direct
or oypMite the building known as Chew's
house, the 40th regiment of infantry, under
C 'lonel Musgrave, was statioued ; stili farther
in the rear, its respective wings encamped ou
< iher side of the main or Skippaek road, was
he body of the British army, with Gen Howe's
-ad-quarters a short distance farther down.
To understand the system of attack decided
II by Washington, it will be necessary to
r. ution that three roads, the Limekiln, Ridge
and Old York, the second on the right, the
two others on the sides of the Skippack aud
rauniiig in a nearly parallel direction,) all en
tered the main road ; the first becoming united
with it near the market house of the village
rself, and the remaining two joining a short
distance below the town Gen. Sullivan,
whose detachment was under Washington's
direct super vision,) commanding the right wing
of the American army aud assisted by Lord
> bin® and Gen. Wayne, was to advance di
rectly along the main road and open his fire
I;>JO the enemy's left wing ; in conjunction
v.?, Gen. Armstrong, who, marching down
the Ridge road, was to attack him on the
ftv The left wing of the Americans was
coaptued of two divisions, sustained by a
briw the whole commanded by Gen Greene:
it wo Washington's inteutiou to dispatch this
pr: 3 down the Limekiln road, so that their
i'-'sck might be made immediately upon Howe's
fgh'. wing, at the junction of this road with
the Skippack ; two other companies proceed
ed along the old York road, intending to sur
prise the enemy at a similar point, and cut
ha off ia the rear. It will thus be observed
that a majority of the American troops were
r aeentrated upon the right wing, in the hope
toat bv a sudden attack, the enemy might be
driven toward the river and thus obliged to
capitulate. At break of day was the time
agreed upoa for the attack, ou all sides, to
commence.
At the Lime these plans were concerted, the
American army, consisting of 6,000 Contineu
.roops and 3.000 mi.itia, were encamped
... i banks of the C-kippack creek, some IT
- its i via Lie scene of action. The atumnal
somewhat shrouded by hoveriug clcuds,
wo scarce.y set behind the distant hills, and
* Etacchoiy parting halo gilded the sad
• u . wheu the main body began
e nia.cA toward Germantown From tbe
P**- roughness of the road and the manv
*ca r.t'es necessary to ascend, they were de
iatended time of arrival;
' r u ~Y' ere they reached Chest
" an 1 day was already in the sky. A
.* c" 4n \ hesitating sunbeams atttmpted
for ?r tnrou ? b l^e deuse and brooding
the *^ opaque folds over
plain, but they failed to
.a ! .„e gloomy expanse, and with minds
Sr/ scmewhat affected by the mists and
t ~ A sarr ooodtng, the troops moved on
apparent abatement of their
Lgor.
|JL e > fe * fow mentioned that " Allen's
orl*ri*° a ° at * a * picketed by an
tbe British; these were
d""* UIWU ' UQder CoTer of fog. bv a
*£! 1 "f miaaa ded bv Captain McLane
p ° tUos ,bcul6 '? ht i ™-
1 - C 0"? tuelight
-and ',L ?r° f wblch were a portion
w * lo,e conpany formed themselves,
THE BRADFORD REPORTER.
awaiting an attack. The sua again essayed
to disperse the iutensc humidity, and for an
instant shone out, as the Americans, led by
Gen. Wayne, advauced upon the infantry, but
the luminary soon disappeared and all was
again dim with thickening vapor.
Wayne's men dashed forward with resistless
violence and scattered the enemy with great
slaughter ; thirsting to be revenged for the
horrible massacre at Paoli. on the September
preceding, they refused quarter to the flying
enemies. " Remember Paoli," burst in wild
and fearful accents upouthe murky air, as sol
dier after soldier fell beneath their swinging
strokes ; eries for mercy, pitying pleas, suppli
catory prayers, were addressed alike to deaf
or listless ears ; vengeance was now the ap
peal, and what men under the power of such
mighty influences could withstand its force.—
The officers endeavored to stay this indiscrimi
nate slaughter, but their efforts were useless,
and so great was the confusion, that many of
our own troops were struck down by the hands
of their companions. Colonel Musgrave, ob
serving the general route of the advance,
hasteued to Chew's house, where, enscousiug
himself with six companies, he awaited an at
tack from the approaching Americans ; and
here we observe one of those occurrences, ap
parently trivial, but which in the present in
stance completely turned the tide of victory.
Mn-grave, from the windows of the house,
opened a heavy fire upon the advancing troops
which induced their officers to order a tempor
ary halt, many insisted upon moving on, n
hopes that the panic, caused by the defeat of
Mount-Airy, would have been communicated
to the tuaiu body ot the British, aud thus
render their combined attack more readily ex
ecuted. To this suggestion, however, (ten.
Knox strenuously demurred, positively refus
ing to violate an important code of military
law, which insists that no " garrisoned castle "
should be left in the rear
Generals Sullivan and Wayne, marched for-
I ward with their corps, attacked the enemy's
centre, some distance below Chew's mansion,
I and after a fierce engagement, iu which many
fell on both sides, finally drove them towards
School-Honse 1 me, where their line was re
formed. Victory had already settled upon
our banners, the enemy were driven in at every
point, and expected reinforcemeuts would
shortly arrive, their amintafw thus communi
cating the fortune of the day. Iu the mean
time, however, the attack upoa Ciiew's house
was being continued, under the immediate
command of Washington himself. A gallant
officer, Lieut Smith, of Virginia, in charge of
a (lag cf truce, edvanced directly in front of
the enemy's fire, iu order to summou tbe gar
rison to surrender ; a volley of bullets was
the sole response, and the brave soldier fell
Many from the ranks now rushed forward in a
vain attempt to beat down the door or fire the
house ; but the former being strongly barri
caded, resisted their efforts, while deadly shots
from the windows above, effectually prcveuted
the success of the latter. The builoing itself,
constructed of solid masonry, presented an un
wavering front again.>t the artillery which was
now brought to bear ; the six-pounders in use
proved entirely inadequate to the task, aud
our troops had the mortification of observing
only a lamentable consumption of powder,
without those effects which should follow its
use. The most heroic bravery signalized the
attack upou this obstinate fortre-s ; officers
and men dashed " poll meilinto the contest
with utter disregard for their lives, in the fruit
less attempt to effect a breach of their un
yielding walls ; apparently animated—not de
pressed—by the fail of their comrades, ethers
filled np the vast vacated places and maintain
ed a scattering but uucertaiu fire upon the
garrisou within.
The fog, at this time, had so increased in
density that objects could uot be discerned
within the distance of a few feet. The troops
of Sullivan and Wayne, having forced tire
enemy upon their "cantonments," suddenly
heard for the first time, a.sharp firing in the
rear, the cause of which they were unable to
divine, being entirely unaware at that time of
the attack npon Chew's House; halting iu
confusion, still maintaining a desultory fire into
the thick mist ahead, what was their consterns
tiou on observing a regimeut, advancing upon
their left flank ; no means whereby uuiform,
colors, or other uppearauces by which could
be ascertained the approach of friend or foe,
presented themselves, and the troops, suppos
ing that the encmj, by a circuitous route had
surrounded and would finally annihilate them,
became iufected with the most fearful panic,
aud turning, fled in ntter confusiou.
Colonel Matthews, a Virginian,had advanc
ed considerably beyond the main body, with a
portion of Gen. Green's division, and at this
time, unconscious of the enemy's so close vici
nity, was approaching the market house, when
becoming completely surrounded by the foe,he
was obliged to surrender, alter contesting eve
ry inch of gronnd with the greatest bravery. —
Meanwhile, Wane's troops fled and communi
cating, strangely enough, their fright to the
division of Greene (whose advance, concealed
by the fog, had occa-ioned their own terror)
the whole body retreated, formiug themselves,
under the lattcr's commands, into some degree
of regularity, and thus keeping up a running
fire in order to cover their flight.
The fortune of war was now entirely adverse
to the Americans, and hotly pursued by Gen
erals Grey and Cornwallis, the rout was con
tinned until nightfall, when the defeated army
halted at Perkiomea creek, a distance cf about
19 miles from the inorniug battle-field. Many
anecdotes are narrated of the hospitality dis
played by farmers to the unfortunate, defeated
soldiery ; one iu particular illustrates forcibly
the spirit infused even iuto the woman of that
glorioas, yet trying period. An elderly lady
had just fiuisbed the superintendence of ex
tensive baking operations, and wos about con
signing the fresh loaves to the shelves of a
spring-hoase, where innumerable pans of milk
and cream arranged with consummate care.
" glistened in a row," sid€ by side with tempt
ing pastry and cakes redolent of ginger and
shortening. Casting admiring glances upon
l he housewifely display, what was the old
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY AT TOW AND A, BRADFORD COUNTY, PA., BY E. O'MEARA GOODRICH.
■ * -. ■
" REGARDLESS OF DENUNCIATION FROM ANY QUARTER."
lady's surprise, on hearing a confused noise, as
of men tramping over the ground above;
basteuiug from the building, to her astonish
ment, whole fields four miles in extent, appear
ed covered with soldiers, all running north
ward at the highest speed. Regardless of the
lady's presence, many rushed into the spring
house, returning either with pies and loaves of
bread, or else draining, while inside, the con
tents of the good dame's milk pans ; still the
rout continued and consfantforays were made
upon the fast declining resources. At leugth
all were passed by and the meadows returned
to their pristine quiet, an examination into the
spring-house disclosed the presence of a few
scattered morsels, sole remnant of the grand
larder it had that morning contained ; with
out a word of complaint, merely ejaculating,
" poor fellows, uo wonder they were hungry,''
the excellent creature began instant prepara
tions for a further " baking,"' and soou replen
ished her empty shelves. Such, kind reader,
was the praiseworthy and patriot conduct of
this most estimable Q ua^er . an undoubted
member of the " meeting militant."
Thus ended the battle of Germantown,which
numbers among its incidents, some of the most
stirring and self-sacrificing, which Revolution
ary annals have handed down to the present
age ; deeds of valor were performed "by men
entirely ignorant as well of the minutiae as of
the merest superficial conueeted with those
tactics pertaining to Hie art of war. Among
the slain, might have been observed the uni
formed aijd decorated British officer side by
side with the plowman, on whose clothing one
still could have traced the dust of his meadows.
Death respects no more the aiguillotted gercr
al than the poor and wearied private ; recliu
iug together upon a common bier, their eyes
closed to the autward world, the relative posi
tions of wealth and station are alike disregard
ed ; unheeding the past, their attention no
longer dwells upon the present. Golden scab
bards and rusty firelocks are folded in one em
brace ; tinselled epaulettes aud tattered vest
ments are iucongrously intermingled.
The sun,.though imperceptibly, had gained
Jts meridian ere the final shot resounded over
the field of Germantown ; and now began that
la.-t melancholy ceremonial, the burial of those
of our owu army who had so bravely fallen
Gathered promise uously together, the bodies
were consigned to hastily formed graves, iuto
which all were indiscriminately heaped ; though
no escutcheoued stone marks their last resting
place, or mural tablets along some dim and
closistered aisles sets forth in classic diction
their virtues-and their services ; though no
" storied nrn or animated bast "' carved from
pnre but chilling marble, designates their final
abode, yet.
" Their names, their peat , spelt bp th unlettered muse
The place of fame and elegy nipple, "
their merits are enshrined deep in the heart of
a nation that loves to honor their posterity aud
add fresher garlands to the many that already
drop over the solitude of their tombs. The
bodies of the dead enemy, it will be remember
ed, were deposited in that portion of Philadel
phia, known as Washington Square.
The traveler who roams over these plains,
I made memorable bj so great aehievments, is
| impressed with a feeling of solemn pleasure as
he mentally cons the changes which a few
years have occasioned. Stauding ou the ad
jacent Chestnut-Hill, he looks abroad over a
landscape smiling with beanty ; evidences of
wealth and cultivation are everywhere discer
uabte; uo longer does the roar of artillery
usher in the morning, or the roll of drums her
ald the approach of night ; a landscape teem
ing with fertility, waving fields of grain, and
meadows wh o=e luxuriant verdure overtops their
flowers ; the peal of musketry has given place
to the scythe's" long swinging stroke,"'the rat
tling of the artillery wagons,to the wain laden
with its crdorons abundance ; for the call to
arms and the horse cry of "charge," is now
heard the low of distant kino or tbe mellow
tickle of a sheepfold's beli : and iu place of
the strains of martial music, we have now
" the cock's shrill clarion and the echoing
horn." The old mansion is still there, its wall :
perforated with bullets, their traces even yet
observable upon the window frames ; surround
ed by shade, in summer completely embower
ed from view by the densely clustering foilage
itself the eau-e of our defeat—appears wishing
to retreat behiud so friendly a concealment.—
But these reflections must be drawu to a close. ;
Ia conclusion the writer desires to add that
the result of this sanguinary field (iu which •
over a thousand fell killed and wounded ou
either side) was suareely to be considered as
a defeat ; rather, in fact, a victory in which
tbe enemy simply remained npon the field. Its
salutary effects where everywhere dtscernable
in the renewed hope by which our troops were
actuated, seeing, as many undoubtedly did,the
ultimate triumph of the Revolution, shadowed
forth in those valorous deeds which will ever
render so justly celebrated the Battle of Ger
mantown. HiSTORIA.
Pay Prentice, of the Louisville Journal,
thus speaks of a gentleman with whom he is
not on very good terms : "Heis a most no
torious coward ; he talks as if his diet were
lion steaks seasoned with gunpowder and
broiled on barniug lava, whereas his actual
diet is probably rabits, liver, sheeps plucks
| and pigeon's gizzards."
" Yon mast not play with that little
girl, tnv dear," said a judicious parent.
"But, ma, I like her ; she is a good little
girl, and I am sure she dresses as prettily as
ever I do, and she has lots of toys.
" I cannot help that, my dear." responded
the foolish anti-American, "her father is a
shoemaker."
SHERIDAN said, beautifully : "Women gov
ern as ; let us render them perfect. The
more they are enlightened, so mneh the more
shall we be. On the cultivation of the mind
of women depends the wisdom of men. It is
by women tbat Nature writes on the hearts of
men."
A Thrilling Story.
The following story was taken from that in
teresting book, " Parley's Thousand aud One
Stories." It is founded upon an occurrence
which actually took place in Vermont/some
forty years ago. The facts are almost literal
ly related as follows :
My brother lleman liked the business of
carrying the mail better thau I did, and so I
went to work iu a new clearing Thad com
menced, about a mile and a half from home,
and not quite so far from the house of a broth
er-in law. I used to stay as often at one place
as the other. It was a bad arrangement, as
in ease of accident neither family would be
alarmed, or go to look for me if I should not
come home. I felt the force of this in the
course of the winter, as you will see directly.
There had fallen one of our old-fashioned
Northern New York snows, crusted over hard
enough to bear a mau. I was getting on fa
mously with my clearing, getting ready to build
a house in the spring. I was ambitious, aud
worked early aud late, going without my din
ner some days, wheu the piece of bread and
meat I hail brought in my pocket was frozen
so hard that I could not ufasticate it without
taking up too much of my time. One day it
was inteusely cold, with the prospect of a
storm, that might hinder my work the next
day, and so I worked on as long as I could
see, aud after twilight I felled a tree, which
in its descent lodged against anothf r, I could
not bear the idea of leaving the job half fin
ished, and mounted the almost prostrate body
to cut awav a iimb to let it down.
The bole of the tree forked about forty feet
up into two equal parts, with large projecting
limbs from both. It was one of these I had
to cut away to bring it to the ground. In
my haste perhaps 1 was not so careful as 1
should have been ; at auy rate, the first blows
eased the lodgment so that the tree began to
settle, and I was just going to jump off, when
the fork split, and as it did so, one foot drop
ped into the space so that I could not extricate
it for the moment, but I felt no alarm, for I
knew that I could cut away the treeiu a min
ute, or perhaps draw my foot out cf the boot,
as the pressure was not severe. At the first
blow of the ax?, the tree took another start,
rolled over, and the split closed with all the
force of its giant strength, crashing my foot
till the very bones were flattened, aud there I
hung suspended, ju-,t able to touch the tips of
my fingers in the snow, with nothing to rest
upou for a moment—the air at zero aud grow
ing colder—no prospect of any one coming
that way that night—the nearest house a mile
away—no friends to feel alarmed at my ab
sence, for _pne would suppose me safe with the
other.
My axe in its fall rested upon the snow
crust, about teu feet off. If I could only get
that I might yet save myself. I did not think
how I was to cut myself loose from the body
of that great tree, suspended as I was, head
down, and suffering with the rushing current
of disordered blood, but I thought in that
keen Wade my ouly hope of life was fixed.—
Just forward of me grew a slim bush, which I
thought if I could obtain, I could form into a
hook by twisting the limbs together, and draw
the axe within mv reach.
Although the bush was out of my reach, I
at length succeeded in getting hold of it by
means of a loop by tying my suspenders to
gether. I drew it towards me and cut it off
with mj pocket knife—one of that sort so long
known as the " Barlow knives," having a single
blade about two and a half inches long and
three-eighths of an inch wide, with equal width
all its length, set iu a handle of peculiar form,
half its length iron and half horn or bone. I
I succeeded admirably in fashioning my book,
and almost felt the handle of the exe within
my grasp, so certain was lof success. From
the tree that imprisoned me the ground des
cended very rapidly for a dozen yards or more
to a little creek. My axe lay upon the brow
of the hill. The first movement I made to
wards twisting the loop of my stick around
tbe handle, so as to draw it within ay reach,
loosened it from its icy rest, and away it went
down the hill, crushing through the little frost
brittle brushes, down npon the ice of the creek
down to a litt'.e fall a few rods below, and
over that iuto the unfrozen pool, with a =urg
iug sound, as it fell into the water that seemed
to send its icy chill through every vein and ar
tery in my whole body.
I still had my knife. True, it was a rough
surgical instrument, bat hope and the love of
life gave me strength to climb up by my fast
eutd leg and cat away the boot and stocking,
and then with that knife 1 unjoiated tuy ankle
and fell to the ground—cy left leg a footless,
bleeding stamp ! The intensity of the cold
saved me from bleeding to death. I tore off
a par t of my coat, and *with my handkerchief
aud suspenders managed to bind up my leg
with a handful of snow, and started to crawi
Lome. I succeeded in reaching within sight
of the house, and then my strength utterly
failed.
I tried my voice in vain, bat I could make
no one hear. I exerted myself once more, and
crawled toward the road that I knew Heman
must come. It was a painful task, for, besides
my exhaustion, I was perishing with cold
Just then I heard the sound of my brother's
stage horn, aud the jingle of the bells comiug
down the hill. I strained my voice to the ut
most pitch, but he did not, could not hear ;
but there was another friend—man's faithful
friend—who did hear. Old Hunter, the no
ble old dog. had insisted upon accompanying
this trip, and brother said, " Let him go : "who
knows what good may come of it?" Good
did come of it, for his ear was quicker than
Heman's and he roused up at the first cry, and
as the second cry reached his ear, he leaped
out, and in a minute was at tbe spot where I
lay upon the snow. He smelt all around, and
I held up my footless leg. Just then the
sleigh had got up the hill ; Hanter sprang
back into the path, barked londly, and as the
horses came np, he jumped up. seized the reins,
an.l would no: let go till Heman called a halt.
Hunter kt go his hold oa the horses, jarnp
ed back to the sleigh, caught hold of Heman'i
hand, pulling off the mitten, and awio he ran
back where I was, aud commenced barking
furiously ; but I heard nothing. T. effect
upon me when I knew that I was dis vered
by that faithful old dog, and that he would
never desert me, nor cease his efforts until he
obtained help, had caused me to faint. My
brother knew that Hunter was not at play—
that something curious was the matter—and
he jumped out of the sleigh and ran after him.
In a little while I was safe at home ; the
doctor was sent for, and ray wound properly
dressed. I eventually recovered, but was,
however, a cripple for life.
ANCIENT RUINS IN THE UNITED STATES.—A
new stimulus is likely to be giveu to American
archaeology by a discovery recently made some
90 miles north-east of Fort Stanton, a long
account of which has just appeared iu the Fort
Smith (Arkansas) Times:
The plain upon which lie the massive relics
of gorgeous temples and maguificent halls,
slopes gradually eastward towards the river
Pecos, and is very fertile, crossed by a gurgl
ing stream of the purest water that not only
sustains a rich vegetation, but jterhaps furnish
ed with this necessary element the thousands
who ODce inhabited this present wilderness.—
The city was probably built by a warlike race
as it is quadrancular, and arranged with skill
to afford the highest protection against an ex
terior foe, many of the buildings on the outer
line being pierced with loop holes, as though
calculated for the use of weapons.
Several of the buildings are of vast size,and
built of massive blocks of dark granite rock,
which could only hare been wrought to their
present condition by a vast amoant of labor.—
There are the rjiins of two noble edifices, each
presenting a front of 300 feet, made of pond
erous blocks of stone ; aud dilapidated walls
are even now 35 feet high. There are no par
titions in the apex of the middle (supposed)
temple, so that the room must have been vast;
and there are also carvings in bas-relief and
fresco work. Appearances justify the con
clusion that these silent ruins could once boast
of halls as gorgeously decorated by the artists'
hand as those of Thebes and Palmvra.
The buildings all have loop-holes on each
side, much resembling those found in the old
feudal castles of Europe designed for the use
of archers. The blocks of which these edifices
are composed are cemented together by a
species of mortar of a bituminous character,
which has such tenacity, that vast masses of
wall have failed down without the blocks being
detached by the shock. We hope ere long to
be favored with fall and descriptive particulars,
as it is probable that visits and examinations
will be made amoDg such interesting relics of
the unknown past, by some of tbe United
States officers attached to the nearest fort.
ARKANSAS LEGISLATION. —The recent brawls
in the House at Washington remind tbe Cleve
land riaindcaler of a story heard in Arkansas
several years since, which has never been in
print. It is no disrespect to the present en
lightened and genial State of Arkansas to say
that in its incipient or Territorial days it was
rather " rough." It was a very common thiug
for a man to leave the bosom of his family in
sound health in the morning, and return dead
at night. Cuttings, slashings, and shootings
were of daily occurrence. It was dangerous
to be safe. The Legislature was chiefly com
posed of bullies and blacklegs, aud the scenes
enacted by them were ofteu very ecceutric. A
fight arose about something in " the house."
The Hon. Mr. Banger, of Napoleon, called
the Hon. Mr. Slanger, of Helena, a liar. The
Hon Slanger retorted with a bullet, which
took off the Hon. Banger's left ear. Both then
sprang into the middle cf the hall with drawn
bowie knives. The Speaker said, "By G—d,
we must have fair play in this business !" and
rushed out on tbe floor with a cocked pistol in
one hand and a tremendous " tooth-pick " in
the other, and in tones of thunder commani
ded the representatives to form a ring. A ring
was formed, and in the classics cf the times,
the combatants " went in." They cut each
other frightfully, and for quite a spell it was
difficult to decide who was the better can.—
Bat finally, Banger, by an adroit thrust, cut
off Sianger's head, and instant death was the
result. Mr. Slanger's remains being removed,
and order restored, 31 r. Banger rose and said :
" It is my painful duty to announce to this
Honse the death of the Hon. William Slanger
of Helena. He was good at draw poker and
faro, and handled the toothpick beautiful. lie
wasn't of no account ,at legislatio.' He was
middlin' on bosses. He put on too many
scollops. He had|ao family 'cepting his brother
Bill, the best poker player on the Red River.
I move resolutions of respect be parsed and
forwarded to his brother Bill." They were
passed.
ALMOST HOME. —This is one of the cost
joyous expressions in the English language.—
The heart of the long absent husband, father
or sou, not only homeward bound, but almost
arrived, thrills with rapturous joy as he is on
the point of receiving the embraces and greet
ing of the dear ones at home. So it is with
the aged Christian, as. in the far advance of
his pilgrimage, he feels that he approaches
the boundary line, and will soon cross OTer the
land of promise. Many of bis best friends
have crossed over before him, and they have
long been beckoning him upward and onward.
They await his arrival with the joyful welcome
of holy ones. And as tokens multiply on eith
er hand the land of Beulah is near, he feels
that he is alarst heme. The ripe frnit of a
long Christian life is about to be gathered into
a heavenly garner. Few sights on earth are
more pleasing than aged, faithful Christians
stroDgin tbe Lord, almost home. We have
some such amoug us, revered and beloved,
whose faces we love to see ia tbe sanctuary,
and whose prayers bring down blessings upon
our beads. They speak of many friends, most
of whom have preceded them, but the reunion
will SOOQ come. Blessings be npon the fathers
and mothers in Ziou ; and may their mantles
fall on us.
VOX,. XXI. —NO. 2.
GEN. JACKSON AT Mas. LIVINGSTON'S DIS
XER PARTY. —In the just published life of
Andrew Jackson, by Mr. Partou, we find the
following interesting anecdote :
The new aid-de-camp, Mr. Livingston, as ho
rode from the parade gronud by the General's
side, invited him home to dinner. The Gene
ral promptly accepted the invitation. It chanc
ed that the beautiful and gay Mrs. Livingston
the leader of society then at New Orleans,
both creole and American, had a little dinner
party that day, composed only of ladies, most
of whom were young and lively creole belles.
Mr. Livingston had sent home word that Gen
Jackson had arrived, and that he should ask
him home to dinner ; a piece of news that threw
the hospitable lady into consternation. "What
shall we do with this wild general from Ten
nessee ?" whispered the girls to one another ;
for they had all conceeired that Gen. Jackson
however becoming he might comport himself in
an Indian fight, would be most distressingly
oat of place at a fashionable dinner party in
the first drawing room of the most polite city
in America. He was announced. The young
ladies were seated about the room. Mrs. Liv
ingston sat upon a sofa at the bead of the
apartment, anxiously awaiting the inroad of
the wild fighter into the regions sacred hitherto
to elegance aud grace. lie eutered. Erect,
composed, bronzed with long exposure to the
snn his hair just beginning to turn gray,clad in
his uniform of coarse blue cloth and yellow
buckskin, his high boots flapping loosely about
his sleuder legs, he looked, as he stood near
the deer of the drawing room, the very picture
of a war-worn, noble warrior and commander.
He bowed to the ladies magnificently, who
all rose at his entrance, es much from amaze
ment as politeness. Mrs. Livingston advanc
ed toward him. With a dignity of grace sel
dom -equalled, never surpassed,he went forward
to meet her, conducted her back to her sofa,
and sat by her s : dp. The fair Creoles were
dumb with astonishment. In a few minutes
dinner was served, and the General continued,
daring the progress of the meal, to converse
in an easy, agreeable manner, in the tone of
society, of the sole topic of the time, the com
ing invasion. He assured the ladies that he
felt perfectly confident of defending the city,
and begged that they would give themselves
no uneasiness with regard to that matter. lie
rose soon from the table and left the house
with Mr. Livingston. In one chorus the young
ladies exclaimed to their hostess. "Is this
your backwoodsman ? Why, madam, hejs a
prince !"
ISAILR.4L OVSTER BZDS. —Along the Jersey
shore, where the rivers empty into salt water,
there exist large natural oyster beds, whence
are procured the seed oyster which supply the
planted beds. In the Spring,'the oyster in
the natural bed deposits its spawn—a white
gelatinous substance, which adheres to what
ever it touches—and in this way spreads a
large growth of small oy=ters, some not larger
tban the head of a pin. From these seed-beds
the oysters are taken and laid in the shoal
salt-water, to he easily taken up when wanted,
and they remain for several years till they get
sufficient size for market. Thousands of bush
els of the small seed oysters are in this way
distributed along the shore oa the planting
groands, or sold to be carried away for plant
ing in other States.
The practice is to take these seed oysters
away in the Spring and Fall. If allowed to
remain in their beds over Fall, they will sep
arate and spread, but if removed at that pe
riod of the year the young oysters die by
thousands. If they do net get bedded early
in the run J, the tides, blown out by the winds,
leave them exposed, or adhering to the ice in
the Winter, they are lifted out of their beds
and either carried away or crashed. Unless
something is done for the protection of these
natural oyster-beds, it is believed that they
will all be destroyed, and even those engaged
in the business, it is said, acknowledge the
destractiveness of the present mode of opera
tion, and desire that the period of takiog the
oyster for plantiug shall be confined to the
Spring of the year. Forty days from the Ist
of April, it is believed, would be sufficient for
all planting purposes.
JAPANESE MlCE. —While on board the Pow
hatan. says the Honolulu Advertiser, one of
the sailors, who did not go to Japan for noth
ing, exhibited to us a sample of Japanese
Mice, which were of various colors, some pare
white, others spotted. They are perfectly do
cile, aud may be handled without being the
least alarmed. It appears that in Japan, mice
are quite a domestic creature and perfectly
tame ; they are entirely of a different nature
from our mice and are much smaller. In fact,
these little creatures may be considered quite
a cariosity, as they can be kept in open boxes
without any fear of their running away. This
sailor had about a dozen of them in a shal
low box, with a partition in the centre, and
three or four small holes in it, large enough
to let them pass through, which they did con
tinually, now and then catching held of each
other's tails, forming a complete circle, tni
running with such speed that it was impossible
to distinguish, their heads from th.ir tails. In
another corner was a small box, •. inside of the
larger one'* the lid of which had two holes in
it. They woald enter this at one hole and
pass out the other as quick as thought, all for
their own amusement. We were also inform
ed that whenever the baud played, these little
mice would dance and run round, keeping ex
act time with the music, and would Stop when
ever the music stopped. Strange, bat never
theless true.
tSF I can tell yon how to save that horse,"
said a boy to a man who was looking at the
skeleton of a horse attached to a vehicle.
" How
" Why, jist slip him away while the crows
are at roost.
IssT* When a man makes his wife a hand
some present, it is a sign that tbey have been
' quarreling recently